Characters of the Cult
Modern Figures of the Cult Seth the Undying The midpoint of the 19th century was probably the closest the Order of the Talon has ever been to true victory. Having hunted the Cult down to a few tiny cells, the Talon was moving in for the kill when a mysterious new figure arrived in the ranks of the Cult. Calling himself Seth, he proceeded to orchestrate sweeping changes in the nature of the Cult, gearing them up to fight the Talon on their own terms. Thought to be a Prussian military officer of some sort, he transformed the Cult to its current militant form, and when the Talon finally closed on his stronghold, a magnificent medieval castle in the Alps, they found themselves in a desperate fight against an enemy in a strong defensive position that ground their offensive to a halt. Every step forward the Talon took cost them in blood. Finally, however, they managed to trap Seth and his honour guard in the keep. Just as they seemed on the brink of victory, a terrified footman of the Order arrived at the Talon's command tent with grave news; a battalion of Swiss troops had arrived at the battle and was firing on the Talon! To protect their secrecy, they had no choice but to abandon the attack and attempt to fight their way out with all the evidence they could carry. As they began to pull away from the fight, a lone figure strode onto the ramparts, clapping and laughing at his foe. It was then that Seth, in grand theatrical fashion, announced to the horrified Talon the truth of his plan; he had chosen the site of the battle carefully indeed, for he had ensured that the sounds of battle would carry though the mountains to a nearby village. This village, which had just been wired with telegraph lines paid for by a "mysterious benefactor", was linked directly to the base of an elite unit of Swiss dragoons, who were coming to investigate in force with full expectations of invasion from the newly unified nation of Germany, whose uniforms distinctly resembled those of the Talon. It was at that point the Talon realized how closely the usual new uniforms of the Cult were patterned after that of Swiss soldiers. The Talon barely escaped, pursued all the way by the mocking laugher of Seth. The defeat set the Order back more than a decade. Throughout the decades since, Seth has continued to be the leader of the Cult. More than once the Talon have trapped him or seemingly killed him, but they have never recovered a body and within a few years Seth always returns, as alive as ever, leading to his title, the Undying. By now, the Talon has accepted that Seth is a title and a persona rather than a name, which the Cult rallies around. Evidence that at times more than one Seth has been active in the Cult supports this position. Still, "Seth" exhibits consistent personalities in all his incarnations; a love of Prussian military tradition, a manipulative streak, and a mocking, arrogant tone. Category:Characters